"Turn Out the Lights...........

the party's over"!
The two weeks of festivities ended with a bang last night, as we dined out with our friends Molly and Keith. Molly's birthday was Sunday, so it was a dual celebration. She gave me an adorable sign that says, "The best things in life are not things at all". It will hang in a special spot at the condo. Here is the gift card:


Quite appropriate from Molly, as we always sign our emails 'xo'.

Here was our view this morning...........ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, so tranquil:

and here's what I was seeing from my sewing room as I dove into my circle series:

speaking of which, here is #2 in the series:

the background fabric is the same as in #1, but the circles are made from paper toweling that I used to mop up extra dyes when I was working out in the studio. Normally I use rags, but a paper towel was the handiest thing one day, and I loved how the dye wicked on it: a happy accident, I suppose!

Here is #3 in the series:
the colors don't show too well in the photo, and I was trying out a few different things with the circles: not sewing in a spiral and I had also dipped the edges in embossing glue and gold powder and heated them up. I had hoped for a better effect, but you don't know until you try! This is the same black Kona cotton background, but I discharged it this morning, and the discharging isn't as vivid. The paste is a day old, and perhaps that is the reason.

As for my perennial bed, things are changing there. The peonies and foxgloves have finished blooming and now another of my all time faves is making its entrance:

larkspur

I adore larkspur and all of it's varied colors. It self seeds so beautifully and will grow anywhere, including making its home in little cracks in stone walls! I bought one packet of seeds for a quarter several years ago, and it has given me season after season of pleasure. Thank you, Larkspur!

This is a French geranium, I believe. The first of these plants that I received from my friend Jeann has given birth to probably a hundred offspring over the past 6 or 7 years.

And talk about reseeding, how about this Echinacea:

I have both pink and white, but none of the new-fangled oranges and yellows. These babies sprout up everywhere and I just love them........as do the finches in the fall and winter, if I leave the seed heads on the plants and let them dry.

While I snapped pictures, my buddy was making himself comfortable in the shade, patiently waiting for me to go back in the house:

PEACE